2017 – Updated Smart Growth Recommendations

The Crown Hill Urban Village (CHUV) Committee for Smart Growth hosts an audience of over 500 subscribed neighbors living in and near CHUV. We count amongst our partners several community organizations, including: Crown Hill Neighbors, Crown Hill Business Association, Whittier Heights Community Council, Olympic Manor Community Club and Greenwood Community Council.

We support smart growth for a more livable, vibrant community for all CHUV neighbors.

Planning and Design Guidelines to support smart growth in our community to maintain affordable housing options and minimize displacement, ease the impacts on neighbors adjacent to arterials to create a cohesive, true urban village.

Specifically:

Create a planned Urban Village Neighborhood Center located in the area north of 85th and East of 15th where there is underutilized space as Commercial Zoning is changed to Neighborhood Commercial. Planning includes design and pedestrian and infrastructure upgrades.

Mitigate impacts to neighbors along 16th, Mary and 14th, which will be rezoned from Residential to Commercial, and upzoned from Single Family to NC 75 and NC 55.

Invest in building infrastructure to accommodate growth, with an emphasis on:

Transit Investments to accommodate the additional demand, particularly bus service

Integrate safe pedestrian paths in neighborhood side streets and integrate sidewalks within Greenways. Build safe, planned pedestrian walkways over and around arterials for safe pedestrian access.

Fix storm water drainage and flooding north of 85th

Create better, more vibrant commercial spaces and a true business district. Integrate planning and economic development tools and include a variety of spaces that are affordable for small local businesses and office space.

2016 Recommendations

The Committee for Smart Growth believes HALA and Seattle 2035 proposals for CHUV are an opportunity for Smart Growth to create a more livable, vibrant community for all. These recommendations were drafted in spring of 2016, and supported by all impacted neighborhood and business associations and involved neighbors.

1) Expedite developing a Comprehensive Neighborhood Plan for the CHUV – BEFORE REZONING.

We would like the City to lead the Comprehensive Neighborhood Plan so that it dovetails with the City’s growth plans for the CHUV, perhaps leveraging design standards recently developed for Ballard.

2) Incentivize density on arterials (15th to 65th, Holman, 85th) and areas that are already zoned but underutilized.

Incentivize smart development along arterials, including appropriate buffer zones and design standards to make the CHUV commercial center a walkable, livable, desirable urban center. Arterials have enormous capacity for expansion and growth, and the greatest ability to absorb additional density. Redevelop the big parking lots and one-story stores into vibrant multi-story, mixed-use commercial/residential housing and retail.

3) Limit upzoning in Single Family zones, while simultaneously encouraging density along arterials.

Displacement of existing low- and middle-income residents is a concern. We do not want to lose our lower- and middle-income friends and neighbors to $700k town homes. We believe developers will choose to build in neighborhoods rather than arterials, given the choice.

4) Prioritize infrastructure upgrades in CHUV Village before increasing density.